


Tell Me Again, Mistress

by Entwinedlove



Series: My Tender Insides [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Political Animals
Genre: AU - Repealed Statute of Secrecy, Bi TJ Hammond, Drug Abuse, Drug Withdrawal, F/F, F/M, George Weasley/Angelina Johnson - background, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley - background - Freeform, Hermione & Angelina engage in a scene, Spanking, intro to bdsm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-21 23:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15569166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entwinedlove/pseuds/Entwinedlove
Summary: When TJ shows up at her door needing help, Hermione helps, even if it is a little unconventionally.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I know this might be controversial because of the pairing. TJ is gay! Gay erasure! Just... don't flog me yet, okay? TJ came across as bi to me in the show but with a definite lean towards liking to be with men more. I mean, he even admits to sleeping with women on occasion and that breasts are awesome. I came across a story where smol Steve was dominant with TJ and I loved it and my brain (and the TJ in my head) said 'yes, please.' Steve and Bucky were already taken and... well, Hermione was right there.
> 
> So, that was the beginning of this little story. It sort of grew from there.
> 
> I'll tell you right now that D/s isn't my scene and that Fem Domme isn't even my typical cup of tea. I did a bit of light research but the majority of my knowledge comes from fics that explore these sorts of relationships. I hope I did it justice.
> 
> It ends a little ambiguously regarding the main characters' relationship. They have a lot more exploring to do, both with each other and with this new sort of intimacy and play. I'm not sure what I envision for their future and so I left it up to the reader's imagination.
> 
>  
> 
>   
> 

It had been almost a year since the Dissolution of the Statue of Secrecy had gone global, almost a year since Hermione had seen TJ Hammond in the flesh. Not to say she hadn't seen him; they had Skyped and texted. The Skype calls slowed in frequency, then the texting slipped away. She hadn't heard from him in two months.

She missed him, of course, but she knew how busy life could be. When May rolled around, she made sure to send him a birthday present with a fun mix of Wizarding and Muggle sweets and snacks. He didn't text to let her know he got it or to say thank you. It made her a little sad but she chalked it up to him being busy.

It was mid-June on a Saturday and Harry was visiting for a late lunch to catch Hermione up on the gossip around the DMLE when the doorbell rang.

"You expecting guests?" he asked, setting his sandwich down as he watched her with a puzzled brow.

"No. It's my day off. Besides, anything with work would have come through the Floo." Since the Dissolution, there had been threats and other unpleasantness that comes from unwanted celebrity but no one but her friends had her address. She was still the Minister for Magic; the house was under a Fidelius Charm.

Hermione wiped her hands on her napkin and stood. She flicked her wand into her palm and approached the door cautiously, the bell half-dinged again and then whoever it was knocked heavily a few times.

"Hermione!" the voice through the door called, "Hey open up, please? I've missed you."

It sounded like... She opened the door to see TJ Hammond standing on her stoop. There was a suitcase next to his feet. "TJ?"

His grin showed off his slightly crooked top teeth. "Hey," he said. "Thanks for the birthday present." There was an awkward pause as she just looked at him. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," she said, belated, realising she should have already offered that. She had the briefest thought that she should ask him security questions but she pushed it away. She stepped back and held the door for him to enter. He did, setting his suitcase just inside before turning and giving her a hug. He squeezed tightly before pushing the door shut and grabbing for her hand.

"You've got a nice house, huh? Ought to, I guess, seeing as you're in charge of half the government or something."

Hermione was still confused, watching as he looked around at her home. Harry stepped into the foyer and at seeing TJ, put away his wand. He gave Hermione a look and it snapped her thoughts back into place. She pocketed her own wand and offered introductions. "Harry, this is TJ Hammond, the United States's President's son. We met last year for the Dissolution. TJ, this is Harry Potter. Head Auror of the Department of Law Enforcement and my best friend."

"Nice to meet you," TJ said, offering his hand to Harry. Harry stepped closer and finished the handshake. "Hey," he said, turning to Hermione, "I was wondering if we could talk?" He twitched his fingers where they hung at his sides as if he couldn't hold still.

"Yes, that's fine, umm," Hermione said, gesturing towards the living room. She didn't mind seeing TJ, in fact, she was happy to see him but it did feel odd for him to be here. He hadn't called or asked and his unexpected appearance had her feeling wrong-footed. He proceeded her into the living room and after a quick look around took a seat on the couch and reached for her to pull her down next to him. She was aware of Harry following behind them. "What it is, TJ? Have you been well?"

"I'm great!" His smile was wide but there was something wrong with it like it didn't quite reflect in his eyes. "I want to have a baby. Will you have a baby with me, Hermione?"

"What?" She asked, feeling dumbstruck by his declaration and his question.

He didn't seem to need much beyond that from her as he started to expound on his statement. "You know Dougie and Anne? They had twins, boy and girl, Jack and Michelle, and they're awesome! Dougie lets me babysit and I love it, I love them so much. They're precious... but... I want my own. And it's not like I'm very good at finding lasting relationships but you—you're amazing and you'd be a great mom and I... yeah. So, what do you think? Have a baby with me?" As he spoke his leg bounced rapidly; it made the cushion under Hermione vibrate.

She was still feeling overwhelmed by his words but there was something else. She took in his puffy, bloodshot eyes, the flush over his face, his over-eagerness. "Are you high?"

There was a scoff behind her as Harry spoke up from where he stood leaning against the door frame observing them. "Of course he is. The glazed look and the hyperactiveness didn't give it away? He looks like George did."

"Well, George's poison of choice was alcohol, so he technically wasn't high," she answered even as TJ frowned and his shoulders slumped.

"Wha... it's not that big a deal, come on, Hermione. Don't you start too."

She frowned even as the vibrations under her legs grew in intensity. "When did you slip up?"

"Who says it was a slip, huh? I just didn't—you know what?—it doesn't matter," he said, jumping to his feet. "This was a bad idea, I knew I shouldn't've—" he started to leave but Harry blocked his exit. "Excuse me," he said to try and get Harry to move. Harry just crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet. He might have also palmed his wand.

"You're not leaving yet, mate."

"No, I've got to, I mean, I'll just..."

" _Accio drugs!_ " Hermione said, pointing her wand at TJ. She raised her hand and caught the little vial of white powder and the bag of pills that zoomed out of his pockets. His suitcase slid sideways across the floor against its little plastic wheels and Harry turned at the noise to catch the second bag of drugs that had worked its way out past the zipper.

"No! Give those back!" TJ said, trying to grab at the things in Hermione's hands and then turned to try to get them from Harry. Harry wasn't as tall as TJ, but he was broader at the shoulders, more muscled. He wasn't going to budge from TJ's flustered grabs. "Please, no, I need those," he begged, turning back to Hermione.

"You don't need them. Now come over here and tell me what happened."

He threw his hands up in the air and then smacked them down on his legs, rolling his eyes and putting on a little tantrum like Hermione had seen each of Harry's children do when they were scolded for misbehaving. "I'll tell you if you give me my stuff back."

Hermione licked her lips and turned towards the coffee table. She conjured a glass box, tapping it a second time to make it unbreakable and then she put the drugs inside. Harry tossed the bag he had and she caught it despite TJ swiping at the air to try and grab it. She put that last bag in the box and snapped the lid closed, locking it. She returned her attention to TJ and gestured to the seat beside her. "I didn't immediately destroy them. Now sit and start talking."

He frowned but walked back around the couch to sit next to her. He kept his body facing forward though, crossing his arms over his chest and looking pointedly away from her like he could block her out.

She waited in silence and he did an admirable job of not fidgeting for three entire minutes before her cushion started vibrating again. "When did you start using again?" Hermione asked, her voice soft and unaccusing.

TJ rolled his lips in, biting both top and bottom like he was contemplating lying to her. He shook his head in a defeated gesture before answering in a whisper. "Six months."

She nodded, that was about the time his Skype calls had dried up. "What happened?" she asked, again her voice soft.

"Why does something have got to have happened?" he asked loud and sharp. He glared at her accusingly.

"Because you didn't touch the stuff when aliens attacked or your ex and his family showed up on your doorstep. You might have wanted to but you didn't cave. Something much more important and painful must have happened to push you into doing something you didn't want to do."

"Who says I didn't want it?" he answered, though this time his voice sounded close to tears. He lowered his head into his hands to hide his face.

Hermione took a deep breath and thought about how best to approach the situation. He was obviously upset and denying his feelings. He didn't seem to mind Harry's presence but she looked back over her shoulder at Harry. He signed _I'll talk to you later_ and left. She appreciated his confidence in her ability to handle the broken man on her couch. She scooted back and propped herself into the corner of the couch and then poked TJ in the thigh with her toes. He looked up at her and his eyes were even puffier and red. She couldn't see tears but she knew they were either already here or imminent. "Come here, TJ," she said, opening her arms for him.

He moved into her embrace immediately. He laid curled on his side between her legs and rested his head on her chest. He blinked a few times before he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply despite his stuffy nose. Hermione was about to prompt him again when he opened his mouth and started speaking quietly. "Nana had a stroke six months ago. Was bad to begin with and it only got worse. She couldn't talk anymore, had to be put in a nursing home. I went to visit often but it was so hard seeing her like that. She had always been the one in my corner, you know, she was always sassy and vivacious and she—" he broke off in a sob that rocked his whole body. Hermione could feel her shirt already starting to dampen with his tears. He snuffled another breath and tried again, "She was... It was so hard watching her struggle with the simple things. On top of the stroke, she had to be put on medicine and she went through alcohol withdrawal. It was... Christ, it was hard enough going through withdrawals myself but to watch Nana have to do it..."

His body shook again and Hermione reached up and started carding her fingers through his hair. It was longer than he'd worn it last year, most likely just from not caring to get it cut. She pressed her lips to his forehead in a kiss and that's when the damn broke. He shook as he cried, sobs wracking his body like he'd tried to hold himself still too long and now everything was trying to come out all at once. Through it all, he tried to keep talking, "She... I couldn't... I'm such a... grandson... Why am I like this?"

"Shh, TJ. It's going to be okay, I've got you," Hermione whispered.

"It's not... it's not okay." He shook his head where it lay against her. He squeezed his eyes tight and tried to stop the tears. He held his breath; it made the sobs worse. Between every few words, his breath hitched. "It... won't ever... be okay... again. Her..." he whimpered and his breath hitched a few more times, more painful and more insistent than before. Hermione held him close, brushing one hand down his back and the other through his hair. He was starting to hyperventilate.

"Breathe, baby, breathe TJ. Come on, long, steady, deep breaths. Breathe with me, sweetie." She inhaled in example and he emulated her. She exhaled and he did as well, still double breathing at the end but it wasn't as overwhelming. She continued to breathe deeply so he'd copy her.

She had a feeling she knew what he had been trying to say. She doubted he would be this far gone in despair if his grandmother were still alive. Finally, when he had his breathing back under control, he started speaking again. "Her funeral was yesterday. I threw some things in a bag and took the red-eye here."

She nodded. "Does your family know where you are?" She felt him shake his head in answer. "Where's your mobile?" He shifted, wiggling on top of her to reach into the pocket he was laying on to pull his phone out. He offered it to her. She shook her head, "No, it needs to be your own words. Text them—mass text if you want—that you're safe in Britain with me and you'll check in later in the week." He did as she said and then dropped his phone onto the floor beside the couch.

He didn't say anything else but he pressed his face tighter against her chest. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise. You—"

"I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to not use. I'm sorry I barged in. I'm sorry I'm not—I'm not..."

"Shh. You are strong, TJ. You'll get through this, we'll do it together." She squeezed him in a hug and the last of the tension he was holding seeped away. They were quiet for long enough that he fell asleep laying on her. She kissed his forehead and relaxed as best she could. He was very warm laying over her. She smiled and gave herself permission to nap; it was her day off after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione woke up to the feeling of the couch cushion vibrating under her and the sound of muttered curses. When she opened her eyes she saw TJ scratching with bloody fingers at the edges of the glass box she'd put his drugs in. "Dammit, just open. Fuck," he muttered even as he tried to dry his fingers against his dress pants, leaving brown stains in the grey weave. He really had left right after the funeral.

"TJ," she said, softly as to not startle him.

It didn't work and he looked up at her with wide shame-filled eyes. "Please," he begged. He offered her the box that was covered in bloody streaks from his fingers where he'd dug at the corners and edges. "Please, I'll stop. Just one more line. One more. I can't, I can't..." His hands were trembling and when she didn't immediately take the box from him his expression crumbled. He threw the box across the room where it hit corner first into the drywall and wallpaper, leaving a sharp hole. The glass didn't shatter. He practically pouted, "Fuck!" He stood and stomped over to the box.

"Don't try to stomp it open, you'll only hurt yourself more."

"What the fuck did you do to it? Why won't it...? Why can't I..." he huffed a little irritated, restless breath. "Please."

The Floo flashed green and TJ jumped back, startled as two people stepped out: Harry and George. George took one look at TJ and the glass box of drugs on the floor near his feet and he sent a disapproving look at Hermione. "Come on, Hermione, you're just torturing him." He waved his wand at the box and it disappeared, Vanished.

"No!" TJ shouted, dropping to his knees to pat at the floor where the box had been. "Where—? What'd you do with it?" He asked, anger and desperation laced through his voice.

George had put away his wand and held up his hands as if to warn TJ from charging him. "I made it go away. You can't have it." TJ stood and glared, he'd puffed up his chest, letting his shoulders hunch forward. He looked terrifyingly like Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier. The look didn't scare George though, who was just as tall and even stockier than Harry. He could probably put TJ on his arse without his wand. "You don't scare me, kid," George said. "I know what you're going through, all right? We'll get you through it even if we have to tie you down and keep you unconscious for most of it."

TJ's face lost the intimidation and he looked at Hermione, another plea in his gaze. She shook her head. "You've got to, TJ."

"I don't want your help!" He shouted at all of them.

"You do, mate," George told him, lowering his hands. "You wouldn't have come around if you didn't want help."

"I realise you probably don't want to sit still right now," Hermione said even as she gestured for him to come to her, "but let me clean your hands, okay?" he followed her suggestion and returned to the couch to sit next to her. Hermione conjured a bowl and filled it with water and Harry handed her a flannel that he'd summoned from the bathroom. Hermione held her hand out and TJ offered both of his hands to her. As she started cleaning each of his fingers with deliberately slow, meticulous strokes she spoke. "TJ, this is George Weasley, one of my ex-brothers-in-law. George, this is TJ Hammond. One of the US President's twin sons."

George came closer and leaned against the side of the couch behind Hermione. "Fraternal or identical, mate?"

TJ looked up at him like he was confused before answering, "Fraternal."

George grinned and nodded. "You missed out on the fun prank of switching places, then. Fred and I used to drive Mum and all our professors crazy with that."

TJ's expression relaxed a little, his lips tilting into a smile. "Yeah, guess we did. We're different in every way anyway; everyone would have been able to tell even if we were identical. I'm the fuck up."

Hermione thumped the finger she was cleaning and frowned at him. He looked down at her and shrugged. "It's the truth."

"Are you close with your twin?" George asked. Hermione smiled at how relaxed his voice was. Although they were seventeen years past the Battle of Hogwarts, George had spent several years tied to a bottle of firewhisky. It wasn't until Angelina had staged an intervention in the early 2000s that he had sobered up. He'd relapsed at Ron's funeral but the next time Hermione had seen him, two months later he was sober again. She'd been a part of that first intervention but she didn't know what had helped him clean up the second time. She probably should ask him one of these days.

"Yeah," TJ answered as Hermione set the flannel on the table and pulled her wand to start healing the little cuts her box had cut into his skin. "Doug and his wife just had twins last year. Boy-girl. They're awesome." He smiled as he brought up his niece and nephew. Hermione liked seeing that joyful little quirk of his lips. "How about you? You and yours close?"

George's voice didn't waver as he answered, "We were. He died in the war seventeen years ago."

TJ's smile fell. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"You didn't mean anything by it, I know that. I named my son after him."

Harry must have slipped away because he was back, wearing an apron around his waist. "And he's just as much a prankster as his namesake. My son's the same way. You allergic to anything? Figured I could start on dinner."

TJ answered in the negative and then turned back to George. "You've got a kid?"

"Yes, two," George said, laying over Hermione's shoulders—she grunted at the additional weight—and showing off his wallet that held pictures of his family. Angelina, Fred, and Roxanne. "Fred's ten, Roxy's six, she'll turn seven in September." TJ smiled at the pictures even as George said, "Budge up, Hermione," and pushed her over so he could sit on the couch between her and the arm. There wasn't much place for her to go without falling into TJ's lap so she tried to stand. Before she could, TJ hooked his hands under her wrists and pulled. She flopped onto her stomach over his lap with a little umph.

"Really Granger? Didn't think you were into that," George teased and smacked her across the arse with his palm. It stung and she yelped before scrambling up and away from them both.

"George!" she said, rubbing her backside against the sting. She knew her face was flushed with embarrassment at his actions.

"What?" he said, grinning. He winked at TJ. "It's fun. That's how Angelina helps when I'm itching to reacquaint myself with the bottom of a bottle."

Hermione might have sputtered but TJ's eyes went wide. "What, really? Spanking helps with cravings?"

"Sit back down," George told her, reaching out to grab her hand. "Your boy's curious." He pulled her into the nonexistent space between them and then proceeded to talk over her objections. "It's more than just spankings. You've heard of BDSM, right? It can be a lifestyle or just bedroom play, but yeah, Angelina's my dom."

*** . * . ***

Hermione was shocked, overwhelmed and intensely embarrassed by the end of the conversation when Harry called them to dinner. From TJ's wholehearted enthusiasm and focus, it seemed he was much more excited about the prospect. She wasn't sure why she had been included in the conversation in the first place and said as much as they were heading into her dining room where Harry had laid out a beautiful if simple spread.

"Because you're going to be his dom," George answered. "Looks great, mate," he told Harry.

"Umm, what?" She decided she must have misunderstood but went with the change in topic, "Yes, Harry, thank you so much for dinner. Is Ginny—?"

"We sent her and Angelina and the kids to Mum's for dinner, don't worry about it." George waved away her concern. "So," he said, picking up his fork and skewering his first bite. He turned his attention back to TJ. "I know you're interested but we're going to have to wait until the drugs are completely out of your system before I let you two run off without guidance. Eat."

TJ's trembling had lessened while he was focused on George talking but now it had come back. He held his fork but he didn't look particularly hungry. "I'll just... it's better if I don't."

"We'll give you a potion for nausea if you need it. You need something on your stomach. Now eat, Harry's a good cook."

Hermione let her shoulders relax as George continued to take control of the conversation. It confused her when she analysed his behaviour with what he'd revealed and overshared regarding his sex life with Angelina. He wasn't submissive any other time. The conversation must have continued around her as she ate and contemplated where she would start her research. She wanted to make sure whatever George was leading TJ into, it wasn't going to hurt him.

"Earth to Granger," George called to her. "I know you're already thinking about research and what you're going to have to know to get started. Don't worry about it too much. I mean, I've got some books to get you started on the basics but it's something you'll have to work out between the two of you."

"What do you mean between the two of us? I'm not—George this isn't—We're not—" She inhaled to gather her thoughts and tried again. "George, TJ's gay. We're not together. I lack certain anatomical parts—"

"Breasts are awesome, though," TJ interrupted. Hermione flushed again even as George and Harry laughed. "Please Hermione? I'm _really_ interested and—"

"You don't have to fuck each other if you don't want to," George said. "It doesn't even have to be sexual. I mean it is between me and Angelina but... you know, now that I think about it, you might not be the best person for the job."

Hermione huffed and picked up her glass to take a sip of water. "What makes you say that?" she asked, feeling somehow insulted though she wasn't quite sure why when she hadn't particularly liked the idea to begin with.

"Well, with how dominant and in charge you are all the time, you might be more submissive in this sort of situation and two subs aren't going to help for the sort of thing TJ needs. He needs someone to take care of him. Tell him what to do, someone that he can give all control over to and just relax and trust that his dom is going to take care of him and make sure everything is okay. I mean, you might not be able—"

"—I can do it," she said, irritably. He shut his mouth and a smirk formed on his lips as he looked to the other men at the table. Her gaze dropped to that smirk and she knew she'd played right into his trap. "Fuck you, George," she said without heat. She angrily pushed her food around on her plate with her fork while the three of them laughed at her expense.

After their laughter died down, George's face turned serious. "No, but really, I mean it. You might not have what it takes to be a dom. He just needs someone he trusts to do this for him otherwise it won't work. And he came to you today for help."

"I do trust you," TJ said softly. He looked up at Hermione and gave her a small smile. She returned it knowing that she'd give the whole thing her all. She wanted to help him as much as she could.

TJ ended up eating way more than he thought he would. He even offered to do the dishes after dinner. Hermione took the time to do a quick internet search on her mobile to get herself familiar with what cocaine withdrawal would look like. After reading some of the results of her search she realised he was probably going to need someone with him constantly for a little while.

"Harry?" she called as he and George were telling TJ goodnight. "I don't think I'll be going into work for the next week or two. Can you let my secretary know tomorrow morning?"

"Sure, sure. You've got that if-things-are-this-important emergency contact scale with her. Things should be fine. I'll be back by in a few days to check on you." He pulled her into a tight hug. "Text me or send a Patronus if you need me, all right?" he whispered. She nodded.

When George and Harry were gone in a flash of green through the Floo, she turned to TJ. "You know what's coming, right?"

"You mean withdrawal? Yeah. Nightmares, chills, inability to concentrate and a whole lot of sleeping." He inhaled deeply. "Desperate cravings. I don't know where to get any blow here, either. I mean, I'm sure I could _find_ someone but..."

"But you're not going to because you're going to be with me. You're stuck with me for a while, TJ."

He nodded. "I just sort of assumed you had a spare room." He looked a little ashamed as his presumption but Hermione just smiled at him.

"Would it be too forward of me to ask if you'd like to sleep in my bed? I can wake you up from the nightmares and I might have a few potions or spells to ease the symptoms."

He smile was sheepish but he nodded. "I think I'd like that."

*** . * . ***

The next week and a half was utter hell for both Hermione and TJ. Hermione was exhausted from keeping up with another person when she was so used to only needing to take care of herself. The hardest part was when TJ would start begging, whether for another line of coke or for other things that she couldn't give him, like pain medication.

George had sent along his books and while TJ slept, Hermione read. When he was awake, Hermione encouraged him to express his thoughts and not be ashamed of them. Lots of ashamed murmurs of "not being good enough" and "it would be better for everyone if I just died" followed. She reassured him as best he could.

She was happy to be a witch because she didn't have to worry about razors in her bathroom but she worried about knives in the kitchen. She made sure everything she fed him didn't need a knife to the point of pre-cutting it all. He asked her once if she did that for everyone or if he was a special case. She answered that she didn't have guests often enough and thought he would appreciate it. He gave her a look that said he knew what she was doing but he didn't call her on it.

When he cried about muscle cramps and pain she was able to alleviate some of it with magic. When he wasn't sleeping, he sat on her couch and skipped through his Netflix queue on her laptop. Hermione made him shower regularly—every two days because of the sweating—and she ended up seeing more of his body than she was prepared for when he collapsed from muscle cramps in the shower. She sat in her soaking clothes on the floor of the shower with him while he cried and shivered. She towelled him off as he sat on the lip of her bathtub. He cried harder when his penis stayed flaccid despite her presence and her sodden clothes. She just shushed him as gently as she could and tucked him into cleaned sheets in her bed when she was done. She had read that the inability to get erect was a symptom of withdrawal but she didn't know if he knew that.

Hermione did remember to send a text to Doug from her own mobile several days into her vacation and TJ's withdrawal, reassuring the man that his brother was okay.

Finally, over two weeks after TJ had shown up on her porch he woke up naturally, without a nightmare or chill or cramp the entire night. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, the worst of it was past them now. She had stretched her vacation longer than she should have and even had Harry bring her some of her paperwork to work on while TJ slept.

Hermione was in the kitchen cooking a light breakfast of eggs and potatoes when TJ came downstairs, showered and dressed and smiling. "Good morning," she said to him even as she plated the meal. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he answered. "Had a boner this morning." The smile on his face was somewhere between ecstatic and naughty and she couldn't help smiling back.

"So it was a _very_ good morning, then."

He glanced down at his plate. "Yeah." There was a pause as they started eating and then he looked back up at her. "Thank you." He took a swallow of water before continuing, "Going through this shit is hard. You made it bearable."

"I'm glad I could help."

They ate in comfortable silence for the rest of the meal, TJ offered to do dishes when they were done. She knew he knew she could wash the dishes with a flick of her wand but for some reason, he seemed to not mind doing them so she let him. She stood by him and dried and put them away. The simple domesticity of it gave her a warm, happy feeling.

"There's something else you can do to help, you know," he said as he washed the last dish. He said it quietly and only glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the books you were reading. I read a bit over your shoulder when I could concentrate long enough. I want to do some of those things."

Hermione's face felt hot as she remembered some of the things she'd read about. Different types of whips and floggers, handcuffs, orgasm denial. What did he read and did he realise how aroused some of those things had made her? She wasn't sure if she hoped he'd noticed or not. How embarrassing. "I thought that sort of thing would be for when you were stressed and had a craving."

He set the last dish in the drainer instead of handing it to her, he grabbed her hand and tugged her into his space. He turned and pinned her against the sink and counter with his body. He had to hunch a little to press a kiss against her neck. "What if I said I was having a craving now?" he whispered. His proximity and the way he mouthed at the skin of her neck had her remembering how long it had been since she'd been intimate with anyone. Her breath caught as he nipped at her ear. "Come on, Hermione," he wheedled.

He sucked at the skin of her neck and she might have moaned a little. It took more restraint than she thought she had to say, "Stop, TJ." He pulled away and stepped back, biting both lips.

"Sorry," he said, fidgeting for a minute before starting to turn. "I'll just... umm, go watch Netflix or something. Maybe go for a walk or..."

She reached out and caught his elbow to stop him from bolting. "I," she started but she needed to take a deep breath and calm herself before she continued. "I have to go to work later, I just didn't want a visible love bite. I've got something of a reputation to uphold. I didn't mean..." she swallowed and realised she hadn't actually met his gaze and corrected it. "I didn't mean for you to stop completely."

The worry lines around his eyes faded and a smile returned to his mouth. He licked his lips and she couldn't help following the movement with her gaze. His lips were red from his attention to her and his own abuse of them. He hunched a little and moved towards her, slowly so she could tell him to stop or pull away. Then he kissed her. At first, it was a simple little chaste thing but his lips were even softer and gentler than she expected. "Oh," she murmured before he stepped back into her space and opened his mouth, to kiss her more thoroughly. "Mmmm," she vocalised as their tongues met. His kiss was playful and energetic and Hermione entertained the idea of skipping work entirely.

A throat cleared from the doorway into the kitchen and TJ broke the kiss and looked in that direction. Hermione blinked a few times before she turned around to see Ginny leaning against the door frame with her arms cross. The look on her face was smug.

"Another ginger?" TJ asked with a smile.

"Yep, another Weasley," Ginny confirmed. "You've only met one of us so far, haven't you?"

"Yeah, George was cool. How many of there are you?" He hadn't moved out of Hermione's space and the longer he didn't move the more she noticed the hand on her waist and how hot he was next to her.

"I've got four living brothers. You've also met my husband, Harry."

Hermione cleared her throat and stepped back. "Ginny this is TJ, TJ, Ginny Weasley Potter."

"Harry said you needed to go into work today and I was told there might be a babysitter available...?"

TJ smiled and nodded. "How many and how old?"

Ginny returned the smile. "Two boys and a girl. Eleven, nine, and seven. They're going to drive you batty. I have to head to the office to turn in my weekly reports. Are you okay with three kids this age or would you want help? Normally I'd just drop them off with my Mum."

"Mrs Weasley is awesome. She'll probably adopt you." Hermione smiled in reassurance. She knew he was an adult but he was also just coming off withdrawal and she worried he'd slip right back into the drugs. Having Molly watch over him while she was at work sounded like a great idea to her.

He looked nervous even as he looked down at her. "Your ex-husband's mom?"

"Hermione's part of the family. Mum'll love you. She took one look at Harry, scrawny and orphaned and loved him immediately. Mention you've struggled like George? She'd tuck you into the family and smother you with love. Just don't hurt Hermione here and you won't have to worry about the Weasley wrath." Ginny said. "Come on, I'll take you through the Floo, introduce you to my kids and then we'll head on to the Burrow. Plus you're Muggle and Dad'll love you."

"Arthur's not working today?" Hermione asked. She put her arm around TJ's waist and steered him towards Ginny.

She shrugged, "He's semi-retired now anyway and since you've expanded the budget for his department he can take a half day if he wants."

"Well, of course, he can." Before they left, Hermione reassured TJ twice more that he'd be fine with the Weasleys and that she really did need to go to work. When they had gone through the Floo, the house felt dreadfully empty. "What am I getting into?" she asked herself in the silence. She sighed before heading upstairs to dress.


	3. Chapter 3

TJ came home from the Weasleys absolutely exhausted. Right before he left George had handed him a small box with a grin and said to open it later with Hermione. He'd left it on the coffee table and staggered upstairs to her bedroom, kicked off his shoes and collapsed face first on top of her bed. It wasn't even late, really, and he thought Hermione might still be at work. Who knew three children could be so hard to handle?

Molly and Arthur Weasley had been very welcoming and Molly had been delighted when he'd offered to help cook. He'd loved seeing all the magic of their daily lives. TJ felt like he'd made a good impression on Hermione's family.

He woke up confused to the feel of small feminine hands working on the buttons of his jeans. His cock took notice before he did and when he opened his eyes a crack he was reminded about where he was. Hermione was standing beside him and her head was tipped down as she struggled with his fly. Her hair fluffed up around her head like a cloud and he smiled. She made a quiet, satisfied noise when the button popped free and she was quick to slide his zipper down. His boner was not doing her any favours as she worked and he had to suppress a moan when her fingers brushed against him through his boxers. He let his eyelids fall back shut.

She moved to the foot of the bed and put her hands on his jeans at his ankles and pulled. They didn't budge and all it did was rock him against her bed. He couldn't help the smile on his face or the quiet shaking from laughing at her. She huffed. "I know you're awake now. Get up and dressed for bed. You're on top of the duvet and I'm ready to sleep."

"Aw, can't we play first?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at her. She was dressed for bed as she usually was, pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, this set was in a pretty lilac.

She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible when you want something, aren't you?" She shook her head and moved around the bed to her side. "Come on, TJ," she said softly.

"Fine," he whined but it wasn't in petulance so much as a tease. He rolled off the bed and shimmied out of his skinny jeans and stripped off his shirt. Before he would have gone to the bathroom to dress in the pyjama bottoms she'd given him but now he didn't bother. He crawled back under the covers in just his boxers and curled up right behind her. He pressed his boner against her ass in spite or maybe to tease, he wasn't sure.

She hummed before saying, "I don't understand you. I thought... nevermind."

"Can we do it tomorrow?" he whispered as he wiggled closer to her and got comfortable.

"I... I'll think about it."

He buried his face into her bushy hair and closed his eyes, ready for tomorrow to come.

In the morning, sunlight illuminated Hermione's bedroom. TJ rolled over and groaned. She was out of bed already. He let his hand trail down his chest and belly before rubbing against his morning wood. He hummed and closed his eyes again. He let muscle memory and pleasure take him away into a nice floaty place. He didn't hear Hermione return to the room except when she gasped at catching him with his hand on his cock. He didn't stop as he opened his eyes to look at her. She'd turned away and was starting to close the door. "You don't have to leave," he said, voice still sleep-thick.

"I'll come back when you... when you're done," she said before the door clicked shut behind her.

He sighed and closed his eyes again. How was she going to spank him if she couldn't even stay in the room with him jacking off? He let his mind wander and took his time, edging when he got close. Finally, after bringing himself close twice he let his orgasm sweep over him. He laid there for a while and might have dozed again before there was a knock on the door. "Huh? Oh, right, umm," he mumbled, looking around for a tissue. He cleaned himself up and tucked his cock back into his boxers before calling out to her. "I'm decent."

The door opened and Hermione cautiously peaked past the frame. He raised both hands to prove he wasn't touching himself before she opened the door and came in. He didn't bother getting up yet, he was still tired. She was holding the box George had given him. She joined him on the bed and opened the lid. It wasn't much bigger than her hand and he was curious about what could possibly be inside it. She grinned and tipped the box towards him, though he still couldn't see in it from where he was laying.

"You get them out."

"What?" He sat up, confused. What could possibly be in such a small box that she didn't want to touch? He reached over the side and instead of his fingers touching the bottom of the box it was just open space. "What the...?" She laughed at his reaction and he grinned back at her as he sat up. "Is this a magic thing?"

"Yes, sorry. The box has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. There's probably a lot of things in there. Reach in and pull something out. There's no telling what he put in here." TJ did as she asked, though it was a little disconcerting to dig into the box and watch his arm disappear up to the bicep before he felt anything.

The first thing he felt was phallic in shape and he smirked. What the hell was in here? He pulled it out and watched as Hermione's eyes went wide at it. A realistic-looking dildo with a flared base. He bounced his eyebrows at her and dropped it on her lap. She squealed like she was scared of it. He dropped his hand back into the box and pulled out the next thing. Leather straps and metal rings and it took him a minute to figure out what he was looking at. He laughed a little once he did. He straightened it up, grabbing the other side with his other hand. "It's a harness," he told her. The confused look didn't immediately leave her face. "So you can peg me if you want," he explained.

"Oh," she said, looking at the leather contraption and the dildo on her lap with a more worried look. "I really didn't need to know this sort of stuff about him and Angelina. I hope they washed it."

He turned the harness over in his hands and felt the leather. He flipped it to show her, running his fingers along one strap. "It's new, see how the leather's not creased? As much as he's a prankster I don't think he'd give us, you know, used sex toys."

"I don't know, sometimes his pranks and jokes are more malicious than I'd like."

"He wouldn't have given us used toys, Hermione. Come on." He set the harness down across her thigh and dug back into the box. This time he knew what he was pulling out once he grabbed hold of it. It was a whip. The handle was braided purple leather and there were a lot of tails that were super soft. The next thing was a long black and red paddle. There was a crop with purple and red ribbons tied in a little bow at the end of the handle. A pair of handcuffs with something very soft to protect his skin came out next. There was a small box with black satin ties and a blindfold inside, too.

"Merlin, is there an end in sight? How much did he give you?"

"Us," TJ corrected as he dug around at what felt like the bottom of the box. There was a tub of something, a small bottle and what felt like a greeting card. He pulled them all out together and then pulled the little box off of her lap to tip it upside down. Nothing else came out. He handed her the bottle and the card. He tipped the tub to look at the cover. "Cool Touch Bruise Paste," he read, "Three ways to use! Cool the heated skin after a spanking, remove the bruises or both!" He unscrewed the cap and looked inside. There was a divider and on one side was a blue gel and on the other, there was a white lotion. He sniffed at it. It smelled sort of minty and floral but he wasn't able to name the scents. He looked up at Hermione who was watching him. He gestured to what was in her hands and she looked down at them like she hadn't even noticed she was holding them.

"What is... oh," she said, sounding a little disappointed. "Polyjuice Potion, right. Okay."

"What's 'Polyjuice Potion'?" he asked, he was interested in all of the toys that had come from the box but he grabbed the whip and played with the soft tails as he looked at her.

"Polyjuice Potion will turn me into someone else for an hour."

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked. She had the card open and was looking at what was inside with a frown on her face. She tipped it down to show him. On one side was a block of fancy handwriting that he couldn't read upside down. There were two pieces of hair taped down on the other.

"The black hair is from Harry and the red is probably from George himself. There's also the option of using your own hair if you're interested in that sort of thing."

"Wait, you mean...?"

"George knows your gay and he gave you the option of Harry or himself for me to turn in to if that's your thing. Or, I could turn into you."

"That puts a whole new spin on the phrase go fuck yourself, doesn't it?" He asked.

She chuckled and agreed. "Yeah. It lasts for an hour. I can pour a little in a separate cup and add the hair separately if we plan to do this multiple times."

He scooted up and leaned back against the headboard, taking the purple flogger with him to continue playing with it. "Have you used this stuff before?"

"Not in the bedroom, no, but yes I've used it a few times during the war." She picked up the handcuffs and tested the softness of them.

"Have you ever been a man before?" He wondered how odd that would be. How would having sex as someone else be?

"Yes. I turned into Harry for a bit."

"Was it weird?"

"If I had had time to think about it while it was happening yes, but as it was, I was more worried about falling off the Thestral and fighting for my life at the time, so I didn't think about it." She sighed. "All these toys and... things. It's a little nerve-wracking." She looked down at the things littering the bed between them.

"You're used to vanilla sex, aren't you?"

She blushed as she looked up at him, biting her lip. "Yes, I guess."

"Well, there's one thing that George forgot."

She looked at each of the things like she was cataloguing them. "What's that?"

"Lube. Whether you're going to peg me or fuck me as a man, we're going to need lube." As he said it, thinking about the bottle he'd bought from Amazon still in his bedside table in his apartment, another thought occurred to him. "Does your sexual preferences change if you turn into someone else?"

She shook her head, "There's a spell for lube, actually, and I wouldn't think preferences would change, no."

"Does that potion work on people like me?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't but I'd feel better researching it first. I know it works the other way, Harry's Polyjuiced into a Muggle before. Why are you asking?"

He shrugged. "Well, I could, umm, turn into you and you could be me."

Her nose wrinkled. "I don't know how I'd feel about engaging in... anything like that with you looking like me."

"Oh. I was curious what it would be like to be fucked as a girl. No big deal." He said. He offered her the flogger. "Can we try now?"

She looked nervous as she took the purple whip from him. "I, umm... yeah, okay. I guess so. How do you want to do this?"

"Well, didn't that one book you read say you should probably start with your hand as a warm up?"

"Yes," she said. Nodding. "What's your safe word?"

"We could do the stoplight thing. Green is go, yellow is slow down, red is stop?" Anticipation was curling in his gut and his cock was half hard already with the things they were discussing.

"Right," Hermione said, standing up. She picked up all of their fancy new toys and took them to her dresser. She only brought the purple flogger back with her. She took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back and suddenly she looked confident. She contemplated him and the bed before she said, "Boxers off, please, and get on your hands and knees facing the headboard."

He did as she said, anxiety mixing with that anticipation. When he was in position he felt really exposed. Her room was cool, colder than he'd noticed now that he'd taken his last stitch of clothing off. Hermione crawled up onto the bed and knelt next to him on her knees. He could feel the warmth from her teasing along his left side. Her hands were warm when she first touched him, lightly on his shoulder and back and he jerked at the tender touch. He'd expected her to just start spanking him.

She rubbed her left hand along his shoulders and upper back and her right hand along his hip and over his tailbone before trailing her fingers down one cheek and up the other. Her touch was feather light as she did it again. Down one side. Before she went up the other, she slid her fingers down the back of his sac. He shuddered and sucked in a breath. She continued touching, his cheeks, his balls, his back, his shoulders until he relaxed a little more.

"Ready?" she asked. Her voice was quiet but he didn't have trouble hearing her.

"Yeah."

She kept her left hand on his shoulders as she pulled her right one back. The first pop was light but it still startled him a little. She caught him on the bottom of his left cheek. The second smack was a bit higher up and a bit harder. She followed those two with similar light, smacking pops on the other cheek. Then she got a little bit harder. After each swat, she let her hand linger.

The anticipation for a high like he was used to feeling with coke was starting to fade into disappointed. "Come on, Hermione hit me harder."

The next smack was hard enough to make him inhale sharply and for his hips to tuck in automatically. She rubbed the spot she'd hit for longer like she was apologising for it. He was quick to dip his back and give her more to hit but she didn't hit him that hard again. His cock was soft and he was bored. She swatted him five more times before he sighed and shook his head. "Red," he said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said in response, pulling both of her hands back from him like she'd burned him. "I didn't mean to hurt you." She sat back down from where she was kneeling.

He rolled his eyes and flopped onto his side, tugging on the comforter to cover his soft dick. He looked at her and frowned. She was upset. Her eyes were wide and she was biting hard on her bottom lip.

"You didn't hurt me, Hermione. It..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided to just tell her. Communication was key, right? "It wasn't doing anything for me. Your hand was going to get sore before my butt was."

"Oh," she said, looking down at her hands where she was massaging the palm of her spanking hand with the fingertips of the other. "I... Maybe George was right. I'm... this... I don't know if I'm comfortable hitting you harder. I thought I was hitting you pretty hard as it was. I'm... I'm sorry, TJ." She sighed and looked back up at him. "You should get dressed. Do you... well, I... umm." She took another deep breath and stopped her rambling. "Do you want cuddles and taking care of? I mean, since it wasn't doing anything for you and all?"

"I don't think I'd ever say no to cuddles from you, you know. You're a very nice cuddler." He grabbed for her hand as she turned to get off the bed and pulled her up next to him.

"I was going to give you privacy to get dressed," she murmured.

"Is my nakedness making you uncomfortable?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her torso and laying his head on her shoulder.

"Isn't it... I mean, aren't you uncomfortable to be naked around me?" She asked, tilting her face towards him, still looking concerned.

"I'm very comfortable with my body, so no. I'm fine." He told her. He pressed his lips against her neck in a light kiss. "What's going on, hmm? You didn't seem to mind when you were washing me off or helping me with the muscle cramps."

After a long moment, she answered, "It wasn't sexual before."

"You're het, though, right? I mean, you're attracted to Bucky and, well, I look like Bucky. I mean, you had a _husband_. What's—" and before he could voice his question, he realised he might know the problem. "It's because I say I'm gay but I've also flirted with you, isn't it? You don't know what box to put me in. I confuse you."

He could feel the heat of her blush where he rested against her. "Umm, yeah, I guess. I don't know."

"Would it help if I told you I like men and women? That I've slept with women too? I mean, yeah, I prefer to be the receiving partner most of the time but... I've just stuck with the label they gave me when I was caught kissing a boy when I was fifteen." He shrugged and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of having someone close. They were quiet for a while before he asked, "Even if this doesn't work, can we keep the toys?"


	4. Chapter 4

The door to Hermione's office at the Ministry of Magic swung wide and would have crashed into the wall were it not for George's hand on the doorknob. He swept into the room and shut the door behind him. He plopped down in one of the two chairs opposite her and propped his feet up on her desk, disregarding all the papers she had strewn about. Thankfully he didn't have mud on his boots.

"So... how did it go?" he asked with a casual air.

"Good afternoon to you too, George," she answered. Tucking her quill back in the top draw and stoppering her ink before he knocked it over. "How did what go?" She gathered up a stack of papers near his feet and tapped the edge against her desktop before she stood and went to the inter-department filing system along one wall. She opened the right drawer and the right folder and slid them in, confident that they would end up in the correct department. She turned around and cocked her hip against the edge of her desk, standing over him where he was slunk in his chair. She crossed her arms. "Did you know that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes might be breaking three laws concerning the sell of restrictable substances to minors?"

His jaw dropped and he brought his feet down to stand, taking away her position of power by towering over her. "I'll have you know that Angelina and I have filled out all the proper paperwork regarding restrictable substances and we have a separate section where we card customers before they can browse or purchase anything."

"Really?" she teased, she didn't realise they had an adults-only section of the store. "I'll have to go through the paperwork you've turned in with a fine-tooth comb, I'm sure I'll find something we can fine you for."

"Hermione," he wrapped his arms around her head in an awkward, overwhelming hug. "You're trying to distract me." He pulled back, "Did it not go well?"

She sighed and dropped her arms to her sides. "I think you were right when you said I wouldn't be able to do this. He said red." She pouted, feeling frustrated with herself. She had wanted this to work for them. She loved TJ and wanted to help him. She might have also wanted this to work for her too, it'd been too long that she'd been intimate with someone other than herself and she hadn't realised how much she missed it. Taking care of him these past two weeks had been exhausting but fulfilling.

George looked confused. "Really? He said red? What happened?"

"I..." she flushed, embarrassed to be talking about this sort of thing with him. She searched her thoughts for a way to explain to him what had happened without having to actually talk about it. Her gaze caught on the pensieve in the corner of her office. "I could give you the memory? Let you view it in my pensieve?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't like George would be seeing _her_ naked, why was this so embarrassing for her? She probably should have asked TJ how he felt about George seeing him naked before offering George to view the memory but it was out of her mouth now.

He looked contemplative. "I can do that." He moved over to the pensieve and waited for her. Hermione pulled her wand from the holster on her arm and put the tip to her temple, concentrating and casting the spell to pull the copy of the memory out of her mind. She settled it into the bowl and prodded it a little to get it to stop clinging to her wand tip. George wasted no time bending forward to touch his face to the effervescent-like substance. She returned to her desk to sign a few more things while she waited.

It didn't take long before he pulled back and nodded like he seemed to understand the problem immediately. "I have an idea on how to fix your problem," he said, confirming her thoughts, "but I have to talk to Angelina about it first. How about you have us over for dinner tonight?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer before he pointed at her and then turned on his heel to swing the door open to leave.

From where she was sitting, Hermione Vanished the copied memory. It wouldn't do to leave that around for just anyone to view it.

The first thing Hermione noticed when she came home was that something smelled wonderful. "Mmm," she said as she followed her nose into the kitchen to see TJ standing in front of the cooker. She couldn't help letting her gaze linger on his shoulders and the narrow tuck of his hips. He was fit. She felt awkward afterwards even though he didn't catch her ogling him. "Smells good, TJ," she said as she came up behind him. There was a lot of green vegetables that he kept moving around in the sizzling pan.

He looked up and smiled at her. "I took a walk and wandered into the store on the corner. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. In fact, I might have to multiply what's there. George and Angelina are coming over for dinner."

"Cool."

The Floo flared and Angelina's voice called out from the living room. "Hermione?"

"In the kitchen!" she called back. She flicked her wand into her hand and set the table with a spell even as George and Angelina came into the room. "What's the eta on dinner, by the way?" she asked TJ.

"About a minute."

"Nice," George said over her.

TJ turned around to look at them and smiled at Angelina, waving the spatula he was cooking with. "Hi! Did you bring your kids?"

Angelina offered him a wide smile in return but shook her head. "No, George thought the topic of conversation tonight might not be for little ears. What smells so good?"

"Just some chicken stir-fry. I marinated the chicken in teriyaki. It might have had peanut oil in it? Should I keep it separate?" he reached over to the bottle of sauce to inspect the ingredients list.

"No, we're good. Thanks for asking," Angelina answered.

TJ covered the handle of the pan with one of Hermione's dish towels and carried it to the table. She sent a trivet skittering along the table so he would have a place to set it. He grinned at her. "Thanks."

The four of them sat down and talked about trivial stuff for much of the meal. George promised to take TJ to the shop and Angelina suggested they treat TJ to a game of pickup Quidditch in the field behind the Burrow later. Their guests then needed to explain the game to him and that took over the conversation for a while. Finally, as Hermione was about to send the dishes to the sink to soak George cleared his throat and drew her attention to him.

"So, I left your office earlier brainstorming ways to make your playtime work."

TJ was grinning at the mention of playtime and Hermione felt a spike of nerves tighten her stomach. With all the food she'd just put there she felt nauseous.

"What are your feelings on exhibition and voyeurism?" He asked, his gaze darting to Hermione with the first word and to TJ for the second. She felt her face flush and stuttered out, "I already showed you the memory of... our attempt, George. I'm sorry TJ, I should have asked your permission first but—"

Angelina shushed her with a quick, "Shh." Then she shared a glance with George. "What he's suggesting is that you and I play for a scene so you can get a better understanding of what TJ will need." Hermione was sure her background in politics had failed her; her eyes had gone wide and she knew she had to look terrified. "So you and I play and they watch. We don't have to do it that way if you don't want but I thought it might be more educational for TJ to watch and be able to ask another sub questions during it without interrupting our play."

Hermione's face and ears felt like they were on fire. "I, umm, I..." She glanced at TJ who looked like he was trying not to look too enthusiastic as he watched her. George had that mischievous grin he usually sported when she blushed and Angelina was looking at her with a calm neutral expression.

"We can keep it strictly to spanking and aftercare if you don't want to do anything sexual with me, I don't mind."

Hermione might have choked.

*** . * . ***

Hermione had excused herself from the table and hid inside her bathroom for a few minutes to escape her guests. She was feeling so many emotions she couldn't identify them all. She understood the reasoning behind the requests Angelina had made and she really did want to help TJ but asking to be spanked by her sister-in-law while TJ and George watched was a bit much to comprehend. In the end, it was TJ who came to talk to her through the door.

"You don't have to do it, Hermione. Don't do something you're not comfortable with. We discussed just having Angelina, you know, discipline me and that could work as a demonstration if you'd feel more comfortable doing that." She didn't answer for a long moment and she heard him put his back to the door and slide down it. Another moment separated them before he sighed. "Please, talk to me?"

Hermione had calmed down after her min-freak out. She'd compartmentalised and now she could look at things objectively. Experiencing it herself, meant she would have a frame of reference for how to handle TJ. Having TJ watch and be able to ask questions of George sounded like a good thing but she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She and TJ weren't intimate and she wasn't sure how she felt about George seeing her like that. She trusted him, she loved him, but he wasn't always the best person in whom to tell a secret.

"I'll do it," she said, though her voice came out breathy and probably unheard.

"Really?"

"There are caveats."

"I wouldn't expect you to be a politician without them," he teased.

They'd moved to the living room by the time she and TJ came back down the stairs. Angelina took charge of the conversation again as they sat down. "Have you given it some thought?"

Hermione still had to take a deep breath and release it before she felt okay to speak. "I'll do it but I have a few... caveats. I'd really like it if the viewing of the scene was done after the fact through a pensieve but I don't think that will work with TJ."

"So separate room with a Peeping Tom Spell or at the very least a Sound-Cancelling Spell between them on the other side of the room from us. That's feasible."

Hermione nodded, still feeling the tight tension of nerves in her stomach. "Signing a magical non-disclosure agreement."

George's shoulders slumped, "Really? It'll take over two weeks to work out all the kinks for something like that."

Angelina rolled her eyes, "George—"

"Pun was intended," he responded before looking back at Hermione. "Do you really think any of us would share this with other people? This is something that only two other people know about me and Angelina, all right? Harry and Ginny."

Hermione must have made a face at hearing their names.

"They have their own sort of playtime. It's not like we share any more than the basics. This sort of stuff is no one else's business but your own. I'm not going to share it. That's what you're worried about right? Me? I'm not going to tell anyone because it's my secret too." He held eye contact with her until she blinked and looked away. She nodded.

"Anything else?" Angelina asked.

"I don't think so."

"Are you comfortable playing tonight?"

Hermione had assumed they would do it tonight and had already prepped herself mentally for it, putting it off now wasn't something she was looking forward to. "Yes, tonight's fine."

Angelina stood and offered her hand to Hermione, "Is your bedroom okay? Would you rather use the spare room?"

Hermione took the proffered hand and stood. "The spare room's my office, so no, the bedroom's fine. I don't know where..." she glanced back at George and TJ.

"I can conjure chairs and we can sit in your closet if that's alright with you. We'll keep the room silenced and you won't see or hear us."

"Right, okay." Angelina continued to hold Hermione's hand as she led her upstairs to the bedroom. The boys followed behind. As George said, he pulled TJ into the closet and as he did TJ made a gay-in-the-closet joke. His voice cut off as George cast the Sound-Canceling Spell.

Angelina was busy casting something as well. She'd conjured a low, velvet-covered bench that had a thick rod along one side. The bench was parallel with the closet door. She sat down facing the closet and summoned each of the spanking toys that had been on the dresser to lay on the seat next to her under the rod. The way it was oriented would give the boys a view from the side.

"Have you discussed safewords with TJ yet?"

"We were going to use the stoplight system."

"Good. Would you like to strip completely, or just pull your trousers and knickers down?" Angelina asked.

Hermione was overwhelmed again with that cornucopia of emotions. Her mouth opened and closed twice before she came up with another alternative. "Can I wear a skirt or dress?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Before Hermione could do much else, the closet door opened and TJ was holding out a yellow sundress that Luna had given her years ago. She didn't think she'd ever worn it. She summoned it and retreated to the bathroom to redress. She also went ahead and removed her knickers. When she stepped back into the room, the closet door was shut again and Angelina was waiting on her, watching.

"Come sit across my lap, Hermione. Put your hands on the bar here, it'll give you something to hold on to."

After another anxious exhale and Hermione complied. It was awkward but it wasn't physically uncomfortable. Her knees rested on the other side of the bench and she could rest her head on her arms. Angelina laid her hands on her, petting the back of her head and at the small of her back. She did that for a while and slowly, some of the tension slipped from Hermione's back.

"I'm going to lift your skirt now and warm you up with ten from my hand."

Hermione nodded and tightened her grip on the rod. She felt her skirt being pulled up and laid over her back. She already wanted to hide. Why was she doing this?

The first swat caught her unexpected across the left cheek and she gasped at the sensation. It stung more than it hurt and it didn't even sting that much. The second landed on the right cheek. Each pop was sharp and stinging but didn't last long. Angelina didn't let her hand linger and each swat was in a slightly different place. When she was done, Hermione's rump stung in an all over sort of way.

"Check in with me."

"Green," she said. It came out quicker than she expected, like now that she was in the middle of this, she was curious to see how far it would go. She watched as Angelina's fingers trailed over the three different toys under her face. She picked up the purple leather flogger first.

"Fifteen with this one, I think." Angelina didn't say anything before the first smack came. Hermione's breath hitched. She could feel many of the little tails as they hit all across the seat of her arse. The smack was somehow both softer and harder than it'd been with her hand. On the second one, Hermione whimpered. By the seventh, what had started as sharp heat and sting had started to fade into a constant burning across her backside. After the twelfth, Hermione lost count. One of the tails had landed very close to her vulva and she bucked. It startled her and it'd been a bit painful but it made her suddenly aware that she was feeling a bit aroused.

"Hermione? You've got three more with this one. Check in."

This time she actually thought about it before answering. Her arse was burning and it hurt but she was aroused and that confused her. "Green, still."

"I'm going to increase the intensity in the last three, all right?" She didn't wait before she brought the flogger down on Hermione's bum in three hard swats right in a row. Hermione's body twisted on Angelina's lap and she whined involuntarily. "Good girl, you did so well, sweetie. It's all right. Let's have a little break now." She laid her hand against Hermione's burning skin and it was blessedly cool. She massaged each cheek with soft, gentle circles.

Hermione hadn't realised how ragged her breathing had become and she focused on taking calming, deep inhales as Angelina soothed her tender skin.

"Your arse looks gorgeous, you know," Angelina said as she continued to touch, "you're all flushed and pink and the way the flogger leaves little white lines in the skin after each hit is beautiful. I'm going to turn this little arse red, though. What do you think?" she asked, drawing Hermione's attention to where her hand was hovering over the paddle and the crop. "Sharp or thumpy?"

Hermione vocalised something that sounded confused and Angelina chuckled. "Yes, thumpy sounds like a good choice. Tell me, darling, are you turned on?" When Hermione didn't answer immediately, too confused with all the emotions and thoughts and _yearning_ that had flooded her at the sweet talk, Angelina said, "Check in, sweetie."

Garbled and unrecognisable to herself, Hermione answered, "Green."

"Good girl. I'm going to give you eight with the paddle. I want you to count for me. If you miss a count, we're starting over. Ready?"

She didn't wait for a response. The first swat with the paddle had Hermione rocking up off her lap and a startled yelp coming from her lips. It wasn't anything like she was expecting, instead of stinging it really was thumpy. She could feel it all the way through her bum and into her thighs. Her arousal amped up threefold.

"Hermione?"

"One!" It came out as a squeak.

The second hit came down on the other cheek and Hermione whimpered. "Two."

"Good girl," Angelina cooed.

Smacks three and four followed quickly and Hermione remembered to count each. She groaned loudly on smack four and she dropped her forehead to rest on the rod she was holding. She was having a hard time focusing. With each smack, the pain thudded across her seat and as it receded, arousal and hot want overwhelmed her. "Five... six... seven..." each wave crested higher and higher and on eight, her entire body seized up and instead of counting she shouted loudly. Pleasure flooded every limb and even the burning heat of her arse felt good.

As the orgasm faded, different sensations came to her. The coolness of Angelina's hand on her hot bum, her soft voice talking sweetly, her other hand petting her hair. Finally, the words started to make sense. "You did really well, Hermione, you were such a good girl. How do you feel, darling?"

"Mmm..."

Angelina giggled a little. "I know. Would you like me to put the cooling bruise paste on you now?"

"Kay..."

She felt her hands leave her for a moment and then the gentle scent of eucalyptus and lavender wafted to her nose. The cool gel felt nice on her bum and she moaned again, softer. "All right," Angelina said as she pulled Hermione's skirt back down over her bum. "Let's get you in bed." She felt another set of strong hands help roll her over and up into the air. TJ had picked her up and carried her to the bed. He set her down gently and climbed in the bed beside her. Angelina laid down on her other side and George laid at the foot of the bed.

Hermione's mind was still quiet and she felt like she was floating. She pressed her face into TJ's chest and breathed in the scent of his cologne and her laundry detergent. Everyone was quiet for a while. She didn't know how much time had passed before she felt more herself. Then suddenly she was very embarrassed. She hadn't expected... hadn't meant for the demonstration to turn sexual. Angelina hadn't even touched her like that. She buried her face further into TJ's shirt and groaned. "Oh god, I'm sorry."

"And what do you think you're apologising for?" Angelina asked from beside her. She leaned close and laid her hand on Hermione's waist.

"I didn't mean for it to... I didn't expect... I mean..."

"Are you apologising for having an orgasm?" TJ asked, sounding incredulous.

"It's been a while."

She felt him kiss her head even as Angelina squeezed her side. "No apologies. How are you feeling other than embarrassed? Hurting anywhere? Need to cry?"

Hermione took as deep a breath as she could with her nose buried in TJ's shirt. She exhaled and wrinkled her nose at the staleness. She pulled back and inhaled the cooler air. She blinked and thought about what she was feeling. While she was thinking, she finally made sense of what she was seeing. George was curled up and asleep at her feet. Had she been out of it that long?

She didn't feel pain anywhere. She reached back and touched her bum to see if there was a lingering soreness but she felt fine. She didn't need to cry. In fact, her head felt remarkably clearer than normal. "I'm good." She turned to look at Angelina who smiled at her.

"That's what I needed to hear. Now, I need to get sleepyhead there home; he's going to be spending time in the workshop tomorrow and if he doesn't get enough sleep there are more explosions than necessary. Fire-call me if you need anything, all right?" She set her hand on Hermione's upper arm and squeezed before climbing from the bed. "Come on, Georgie."

George woke up and looked around, confused. He gave her and TJ and a smile and a wave before he followed his wife, shuffling out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"How do you feel?" TJ asked after they heard the Floo flare twice as their guests left.

"Calm," she answered and decided to be a bit more open. He'd seen her, watched her. "Still a bit blissed out from the orgasm. It's been... well..."

"You don't masturbate frequently, huh?"

She looked up at him feeling bashful but his smile eased the feeling of embarrassment from her. She had walked in on him pleasing himself, she supposed there was a modicum of equality to their intimacy now. "No, not really. Too much other stuff going on in my head."

"I guess you liked subbing a lot, huh? Do you think you'll be able to do that to me?"

She raised an eyebrow at the challenge. "I think so. Could you do it?"

"What? Spank you?" She nodded and he seemed to think about it for a few moments before he returned his gaze to her. "I'm willing to try." He smiled and then rolled away to strip down to his boxers. "But why don't we explore that some other time. It's late; let's sleep."


	5. Chapter 5

TJ had planned to ask Hermione to spank him the following day but she sent him a Patronus that spoke to him, which was really cool, that said in her voice that something had come up and she had to work late.

Between that and Ginny coming to get him to spend time at the Weasley's house, the Burrow, during his days, he was spent. When the weekend rolled around all he wanted to do was sleep. Hermione didn't seem to mind, though she did make sure he came downstairs for meals.

"Are you doing okay, TJ?" she asked. "I'm sorry my work picked up and I haven't been able to just talk with you. This is the life of a single politician, I guess."

"Yeah, but you're not just a politician, you're at the top. I'm still shocked you were able to spend two weeks with me," he said. He took another bite of food and as he was chewing and thinking about what he wanted to say, there was a tapping against the window and Hermione flicked her wand at it. Instead of the usual little brown owl that TJ had become used to seeing, the bird that flew in was an eagle. Or a hawk. Or some big bird of prey. Its talons tore into Hermione's tablecloth. It seemed nice enough and dropped a white envelope onto the table next to Hermione's plate.

"Wow, umm, you're not local, are you sweetheart?" Hermione addressed it. She looked at her plate and then back up to the bird. "I'm afraid tonight dinner doesn't have anything for you. Would you care for some owl treats?"

It chirped at her and she reached out to pet it on the head. He worried for her fingers; it didn't bite her, though. She summoned something small and brown into her hand and she set them on the table in front of the bird. It chirped again and pecked in her direction. The move made TJ nervous—it was a really big bird—but she just laughed. "I said owl _treats_ , not _owl_ treats. I'm not feeding you a post owl. Eat the treats and you should probably be on your way." TJ was sure the shock was plain on his face because the bird actually _listened_ to her. It bent and gobbled up the treats before leaning forward and launching itself off of the table and back out the window. He just blinked as she closed it with a spell.

"Who sends a bird that big with mail?" he asked, still a little gobsmacked by a freaking eagle that seemed to understand English.

"Let's see, hmm?" She said, picking up the envelope. It was white and square and it looked like an invitation to TJ. She opened it and smiled as she read. "It's a wedding invitation. My friend Luna is getting married in August."

"You said the bird wasn't local?"

"She's marrying Tony Stark."

TJ's jaw dropped, "What? Really?" he laughed. "Well that sort of explains the bird, right? Who else but someone like Stark would use a fucking bird of prey like that?"

"Well, Luna and Tony are in New York so the larger bird is necessary for cross-Atlantic travel even with the little stops they make across Canada, Greenland, and Iceland... but you're right. Tony would have wanted ostentatious, wouldn't he?"

"That's crazy. I thought Stark would be a forever-bachelor. I don't think I've met Luna?"

"No, you haven't. She's... different. Think flower child with a hint of the fae. She's a magi-zoologist. So was her husband, Rolf, before he died. She's got twin boys."

"More twins." He laughed. For the longest time growing up, he and Doug had been the only twins he'd ever known and now he knew four sets, even though he'd never got to meet Fred. Thinking about Doug, though, had TJ starting to itch a little under his skin. He'd only sent the barest texts to his mom and Doug in the last month or so that he'd been here. Thinking about them made him think about Nana and he didn't want to think about her being gone. He stood and picked up his plate, coming around to pick up Hermione's. "I guess I'll wash these."

"Only if you want to, you know you don't have to."

"I know," he said. His words were more clipped than he intended.

"TJ? Are you okay?"

He almost replied with the normal, 'I'm fine,' but he knew better. "Just thinking about Doug and Nana." He hadn't turned to look at her as he answered.

"Do I need to discipline you?" her tone had changed, it was still caring and friendly but there was something else, a hint of _I'm-in-charge-here_. He shivered and wondered how she did that. He turned to look at her, thinking about what he needed compared to what he wanted. He did _want_ but with his thoughts and emotions getting all tangled up thinking about twins and Doug and Nana and Mama... well, maybe he _needed_ too.

He made eye contact with her and licked his lips. "Please, mistress?"

Her inhale was sharp and audible and he thought her eyes might have darkened. Dilated? He grinned and said it again, with more confidence. "Mistress, please?"

She stood and took the dishes from him, setting them in the sink and starting them washing with a twist of her wand. She took his hand and led him upstairs. He was already half hard in his pants. She brought them into the bedroom and used magic to pull the velvet-covered bench that Angelina had created into the middle of the floor. She opened the top and pulled out the flogger, paddle, and crop and closed it, setting the toys on the side of the seat.

She paused like she was nervous and he didn't want her to be nervous, so he made her focus on him. He started stripping, letting his clothes fall wherever he dropped them. She nodded and sat down on the bench to give him room.

Once he was naked, he settled over her lap, enjoying the soft feel of velvet on his knees and elbows. He wondered if his boner poking her in the leg would bother her. He closed his eyes and hummed as he felt her hands gentle on him, at his shoulder, his hip, the back of his thigh.

"How many smacks should I warm you up with?"

"Fifteen?" he asked. She'd had ten warm-up smacks and he figured they both might need a few more to get the feel for it.

"Okay," she said. She rubbed at his ass first and the swat that came down was much harder than their last attempt. It stung and he grunted. He tried to remember, had she made noise at the beginning?

The next one came and it was just as sharp and he breathed through the quick flash of pain. She wasn't holding back this time. Sometime around smack nine, his ass was on fire and he wasn't sure why he was doing this. Swat ten hit low on one of his butt cheeks, closer to his balls and he yelped and twitched. The movement ground his cock against her thigh and the velvet of the bench and he groaned. Oh yeah, that's why he wanted this.

"How are you feeling, TJ?" she asked, letting her hand soothe the burning skin. He didn't know what number of pops they were on.

"Good... green..." he wiggled and let his eyes roll back, "Feels good," he muttered. "Please?"

He sensed her reaching in front of him with her hand to pick up a toy. He didn't open his eyes to see which one it was. There was a whistling swish and he tightened up in expectation of it but he didn't feel anything. He vocalised a soft confused sound and moved to look at her.

She giggled and let her free hand caress down his back. "Just getting a feel for it. Ten with this one, I guess?"

He meant to say please again, or call her mistress, but didn't get the words out before that whistling swish sounded again and a line of pain bloomed across both asscheeks. His eyes went wide open and his mouth did too, and a high-pitched whine came out of him. Damn, that hurt, but in conjunction with his wiggling on her lap, the pleasure chased it away. "Fuck."

"Still green?" She asked.

He nodded quickly and closed his eyes again. She didn't immediately bring the crop back down again. "Please, mistress," he whispered. A little, excited huff of breath was her only warning as she brought the crop down again, still across both cheeks but now further down, near the top of his thighs. He must have made a noise because she was shushing him and petting his hair but he didn't know what it was. Smack three and four came in quick succession and he almost squirmed off her lap.

"Be still, darling," she said and her hand came to his side to keep him from falling off. "Maybe only one more, hmm? This one looks painful. Your bums all pink with pretty little lines. I see what Angelina meant by how pretty it is. I bet a lattice effect would look great." He moaned and she seemed to give in, the last smack wasn't nearly as sharp as the previous.

He still wiggled and whined and ground his weeping cock into her thigh. God, he wanted to come but he wanted... he wanted... "Thumpy?" he murmured.

"Are you sure? I was thinking the flogger might be nice, too, you know... it doesn't sting as much. We'll have to try different combinations to see which one feels best after the other. Still green?" she asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay then," she said and he was vaguely aware of her switching from the crop to the paddle. "Five with this one?"

He didn't answer. He didn't care, he just wanted... it was up to her anyway. He didn't... it wasn't his place. He wasn't quite prepared for the way the paddle seemed to vibrate all the way through muscle and bone, though. It hurt.

He rocked forward to try to move away from the pain and moaned. He could chase it with pleasure. The second swat was just as painful and he rocked against her again but the good feelings didn't overtake the pain that time. He whimpered and the third swat came down. He yelled and squeezed his eyes tight against it. He licked his lips and tasted salt, was he crying? "Yellow," he whispered.

"Okay, TJ. You're doing so well, baby, so well. What do you want?"

"Dunno," he murmured, only slightly worried that his erection was failing.

She hummed and started caressing his ass with a soft, cool hand. Her fingers trailed down to his balls and it tickled but then she hesitated and pulled her hand away. "May I touch you, TJ?"

" _Fuck_ yes, please, green," he said.

"Do you want to turn over?"

"Don't care." He pressed against the bar and against her legs, leveraging himself onto his hands and knees. Her little hand wrapped around his cock and squeezed and then moved over him. It took an embarrassingly short amount of time before his orgasm overwhelmed him. When it was over, he felt a bit wrung out like he'd cried out all of his emotions.

"Come on, darling, let's cuddle." He didn't know how he got from her lap to the bed or even if they'd cleaned up. All he knew was he was curled up against her with her arms around him and soft whispers fell like a light rain on his bare skin. "You're such a good boy, TJ. So sweet. I love you, you know. You're very loved. I've got you, cry it all out. You're okay."

After a long while of her rocking him and whispering to him, he said, "Oh."

She leaned back from where she was holding him close so she could see him better. "You okay, TJ? Want me to put the bruise paste on you? I think I hit you too hard, baby, I'm so sorry."

"Maybe?" he asked and his voice sounded small. "Then covers... It's cold."

"Okay, roll over for me." He did and the sigh that followed him at the first touch of the cooling gel was heavy. As the pain faded, it felt like all of his worries left with it. "How's that feel? Still hurting?"

"S'good," he murmured. He just wanted to cuddle more. He burrowed under her covers and waited, wanting to count the seconds until she came back but not quite himself enough to think through the numbers. It seemed she was gone forever before she came back, warm and soft against him under the covers.

"I've got some water for you and some chocolate. Can you drink and nibble on some? Here, its got a straw." She pressed a straw to his lips and he drank and when she pressed a small square of chocolate against his lips he took that too. When he finished chewing she got him to drink some more water. "All right. Now rest, love, I've got you."

He might have hummed in contentment before he fell asleep.

When he woke up, she was still wrapped around him but instead of the pleasant heat she'd been before, he was overly hot. He squirmed to get some space between them and only felt a little bad when he woke her up. It was still dark in the room.

"Hey TJ," she said softly, voice thick with sleep. "Are you okay? You worried me."

"Huh? What do you mean?" He yawned so wide his jaw cracked.

"You cried a lot. Heavy sobs like when you first told me about your grandma. I sent a Patronus to Angelina asking what I should do. She said to make sure you stayed hydrated, give you some chocolate, and just hold you close and keep reassuring you that you were safe and okay."

"Oh. I'm fine now, I guess." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. He was pretty sure she'd said she'd loved him earlier but he didn't know if she'd said it on purpose or not. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. Did she love him like a friend, like she loved Harry or George? Or was what she felt for him something else? She'd given him an orgasm, so were they dating now?

He brought his hand up to his still naked chest and thighs under the blanket. There wasn't dried jizz there, so she must have cleaned him up. She confused him. "I don't think I like the paddle."

"It's okay. We don't have to use that one."

"But you liked it..."

"I did. Maybe I'm just heavy-handed? I don't know." Her smile was interrupted by a yawn. "Do you want to go back to sleep? Just so you know, if you want to get dressed, I went ahead and put your clothes in the laundry basket so you'll need to get clean ones."

He yawned again and snuggled down into his pillow. "I think I could sleep some more. It was just hot. You're a furnace."

She giggled and when he was settled she moved closer and wrapped an arm around his waist anyway.

He laid there a long time, thinking. Maybe he didn't have to have all the answers just yet. Whatever this was, it was still new and confusing between them after all. He knew that they were no where close to the request he'd made of her when he first arrived. The itch of wanting a baby had eased a little after helping take care of Ginny's kids. He knew he wasn't responsible enough or clean enough to be a parent and although he'd asked her while he was high, he had been truthful; if he could have a kid, he'd want one with her.

Before he closed his eyes to go back to sleep he whispered, "I think I love you too."


End file.
